M A I N   N E W S

Don’t harass Muslim youth, Shinde tells CMs
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 30
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today stirred the proverbial hornet’s nest when he asked chief ministers to ensure that no innocent Muslim youth was wrongfully detained in the name of curbing terror.

The BJP opened a frontal attack demanding that Shinde should be sacked while the Left parties termed it as vote-bank politics. The Congress and the Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party backed Shinde saying innocent youth from the community should not be harassed.

In a letter to chief ministers, Shinde said the Centre had been receiving representations on alleged harassment of innocent Muslim youth by law enforcement agencies. “Some of the minority youth have started feeling that they are being deliberately targeted and deprived of their basis rights,” Shinde’s letter said. Saying the government was committed to its core principle of combating terrorism in every form and manifestation, Shinde’s letter to the CMs said, “The government has to ensure that no innocent person is subjected to undue harassment.”

Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan had earlier written to Shinde expressing concern over alleged “wrong arrests” of Muslim youths in terror cases. Shinde has also asked the states to constitute special courts in consultation with respective high courts for speedy trial in terror cases, appoint special public prosecutors for such cases and give priority to these cases over other pending cases.

Shinde has also suggested “strict and prompt action against erring police officers where there is mala fide in arrests”. He has also asked states that in case any member of minority community is wrongfully arrested that person should not only be released immediately but also suitably compensated and rehabilitated.

Shinde’s directive faced condemnation from the BJP that said it was done keeping in mind the upcoming elections. BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: “Shinde should be sacked with immediate effect for dividing the country on communal lines.”

CPI’s D Raja accused the Congress of seeking political advantage by trying to woo Muslim voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and said the law was equal to everybody and should be applied equally to all citizens. Shinde was backed by the Ram Vilas Paswan and the Congress that echoed similar sentiments.

Minister’s directive

• No innocent Muslim youth should be wrongfully detained in the name of curbing terror
• Take strict and prompt action against erring police officers where there is mala fide in arrests